Improved apparatus for evaporating liquids



J. 1. JOHNSTON.

' Apparatus for Evaporating Liquids.

Patented Nov. 14, 1865.

UNITED STATES I PATEET OFFICEO JAMES J. JOHNSTON, OF ALLEGHENY CITY,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING LIQUIDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,935, dated November14, 1865; antedated November 2, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. JOHNSTON, of the city and county ofAllegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new andImproved Apparatus for Evaporating Liquids; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The nature of my invention consists in applying heat to the upper andlower surface of liquids to be evaporated or distilled, said heat toconsist of steam or heated air, or steam and heated air combined, andused in combination with the apparatus hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, which represent a sectional view of myimproved apparatus, a represents the furnace, which may be made in anyform desired.

1) represents the fire-chamber of the furnace.

d represents the fire-walls of the fire-cham ber.

' 1 represents grate-bars.

0 represents the ash-pit ot' the furnace.

6 represents the still, which is divided into two parts or chambers bymeans of the partition-bottom, (marked f.)

The upper part or chamber is furnished with an ordinary goose-neck pipe,(marked 3 to which may be attached a condensing pipe or pipes, which maybe constructed and arranged in any known manner.

In the center of the top of the still is placed a hollow column, (markedm.) Near the upper end of this column is attached a pipe, (marked n,)which passes down and through the furnace and connects with the lowerpart or chamber of the still 0. The arrangement of and the connectionsof this pipe at will be clearly seen by I reference to the drawing.

In the upper part or chamber of the still 6 is placed adiaphragm,(marked 1',) the lower face of which is furnished with a large number ofsmall holes, and to its upper surface is attached a hollow column,(marked 0,) which is fitted to the bore of the column marked m. Theupper end of this column 0 is attached to an elevating and depressingscrew, (marked 50,) the nut or Iemale part of which is in the upper endof the column m.

In the upper end of the column 0 are a number of openings, which leadinto the cavity of said column, which cavity leads into the hollow spacein the diaphragm r.

The part of the pipe n which is under the bottom of thestill eand overthe fire-chamberbmay be made to traverse back and forward a number oftimes, if so desired.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: I furnish the lower partor chamber of the still 0 with water by means of the pipe marked 25, andthe oil or other liquid to be evaporated or distilled is placed by anyknown device into the upper part or chamber of the still. I then start atire in the furnace, which will raise steam in the lower part or chamberof the still. Now, it being a fixed law of steam that it will seek thepoint where there is the least resistance, (which, in this case, is thegoose-neck and condensing-pipe which may be attached to it,) the steamwill pass from the lower part or chamber of the still into the pipe 1,and from it into the cavity in the column 0 and diaphragm r, and throughthe small openings in its lower face, and thereby come in contact withthe upper surface of the oil or other liquid in the upper part orchamber of the still.

The arrows marked 2 represent the course of the steam or air through thepipe n, column 0, and diaphragm r, and the arrows marked 3 represent thesteam or air after it has performed its office on the surface of the oilor other liquid, passing off with vapor evolved from the oil or otherliquid into the goose-neck y, from which it passes into an ordinarycondensing-pipe, which may be attached thereto.

The lower face of the diaphragm 1" should always be near the surface ofthe oil or other liquid in the upper part or chamber of the still. Thiscan be done by lowering the diaphragm r as the oil or other liquidpasses off, for it will be readily observed that by turning the screw 00by means of leverj the diaphragm can be raised and lowered at will; andit will also be observed that an air-pump can be attached to the branchmarked A of the pipe 12, so that air, or air combined with steam, can beused, if desired, and also that the said branch A can be used forconveying steam to an engine, if desired.

I wish it to be clearly understood that I do 2. The use of .theadjustable diaphragm r, in combination with the still 0 and pipe a, saiddiaphragm, still, and pipe being constructed, arranged, and operatingsubstantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES J. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD, JOHN D. BLOOR.

